Technical Field
This disclosure is directed to a digital-to-analog converter that receives a general purpose input/output (GPIO) signal and uses the received GPIO signal to provide an output voltage for driving an antenna and, in particular, a digital-to-analog converter that receives the GPIO signal in addition to a higher level multi-level modulated protocol data that sets the output voltage level.
Description of the Related Art
Digital-to-analog converters are ubiquitous in modern electronic devices. In principle, a digital-to-analog converter receives digital data and outputs an analog voltage in accordance with the received digital data. Modern electronic devices, such as handheld devices including smart phones and tablets, utilize sophisticated communication protocols to provide an interface between their components. Examples of such protocols include the Mobile Industry Processor Interface (MIPI) protocol, which is a high level complex communication protocol used for communication between components, such as a camera and its respective controller or a modem and its respective controller.
However, modification of MIPI protocol signaling in electronic devices is often restricted. For example, access to a controller's firmware may be limited such that MIPI protocol signaling reconfiguration may not be possible. This negatively impacts the interoperability between electronic device components. Accordingly, it is desirable to circumvent communication protocol restrictions and improve the interoperability of device components.